Planoohaph co



C. H. CHALMERS.

TRACTOR.

APPLICATION FILED AUG-|9119l. 1 ,3 1 2, 1 59. Patented Aug. 5, 1919.

` 3 SHEETS-SHEET l.

THB OLUMBIA PLANODRAPH C0.. WASHINGTON. 1D. C.

C. H. CHALMERS.

TRACTOR.

APPLICATION FILED AuG.I9. 19m.

3 SHEETS-SHEET 2.

'1 3 1 2, 1 5 9 Patented Aug. 5, 1919.`

C. H. CHALMERS.

TRACTOR.

APPLICATION FILED AuG.I9. IsIs.

` 1,312,159. Patented Aug. 5,1919.

3 SHEETS-SHEET 3.

'34 F/f; Z7

2J 1619 za till Wirren s'rATns PATENT onnron.

CHARLES H.`CIIAL1VIERS, 0F MINNEAPOLIS, MINNESOTA, ASSIGNOR TO F. E. HOLTON, v CHARLES M. ANDRIST, JOHN IVI. SIEIBERG", AND H. CHALMERS, `TRUS'Jlllllls,

ALL OF MINNEAPOLIS, MINNESOTA.

To allwlwm t may concern.'

Be it known that I, CHARLES I-I. CHAL- Mnns, a citizen of the United States, and resident of Minneapolis, in the county of `I-Iennepin and State of Minnesota, have invented certain new and useful Improve- `ments in rIractors, of which thefollowing is a specication. V y

'Ihis invention relates to improvements in tractors, and the object ofthe inventionis to provide a tractor driven by a suitable engine or motor and having means for attaching a team of horses or other animals thereto, for the purpose of guiding the tractor and furnishing eXtra power that may be used for a short time when there is an overload upon the machine, which `the tractor engine or motor would not be able to handle. By this arrangement I am able to produce a tractor in which the motive for ordinary operations will1 be supplied from a suitable motor, preferably an ordinary internal combustion engine, while the team guides the tractor and furnishes the `described and particularly pointed out in the claims.

In the accompanying drawings forming part of this specification, Figure 1 is a side elevationof a pole` providing the animal attaching means being shown broken away,

Fig. 2 is a plan view of the structure shown in Fig. 1, f s Fig. Sis a rear end elevation, i s s Figs. 4 and 5 are details of the, `ratchet mechanism, between the main drive shaft and the traction wheels. f, ,s s l In the drawings, 2 represents the frame tractor embodying my invention, the tongue or inneren.

of the machine, which preferably constructedin the form of an open platform,

axle 3 `upon which `are journaled suitable traction wheels f1", L1. The frame 2 is also provided with a forwardly projectingpole `or tongue 5 by means of which ateam `of i Specification of Letters Patent. p PatentedAug, 5, ,1919, i Application fue@ nugget 19,1916. sensi No. 115,331.

11 g n i 55 and which 1s supported upon a transverse horses, mules or other animals, may be "hitched to the tractor, so as to travel in front thereof.

I have shown the pole 5 broken away, and provided at the forward end with asuitable clevis 6. s I deem` it un- "necessary to show the details of the devices by which theteam may be hitched tothe machine.

Mountedupon the tractor frame, preferably near the forward end thereof, is a ranged upon a countershaft 14, mounted in bearings .311 upon the platform`2." "The countershaft 14C is provided with -a pinion 15 and this pinion engages a large gear wheel 16 splined upon a shaft 17. The shaft,

17 extends across the platform` of the 4Inachine is mounted in sleeves 19 arrangedin standards 18 secured to the machine platform near leach edge thereof and consequently near the ends of the shaft 17. Each of the sleeves 19 has secured to, or formed integrally with, its outer end a pinion 20 and to itsinner end a ratchet wheei 21. The

`pinions 20 `and ratchet wheels 21 are arranged upon opposite sides of the standards 18, and` thereby the sleeves 19 held against endwise movement. The shaft `17,

` as `will be seen, passses through the ratchets 21, the sleeves 19 and 'the pinions20. Splined upon the shaft 17 near each end thereof isa head 22 which carries the piv' oted pawls`24. Suitable springs'25 are preferably mounted upon the heads 22 and tend large gear `and these gears yare engaged by the pinions 20.` 'Mounted on the`shaft 17 areV the disks 27, each provided with pins 28 Athat extend through; holes in the coriesponding head 22, and are adapted to be Vprojected into the spaces between the teeth of the ratchet wheel 21. Each of these disks 27 is provided with a grooved collar 30 and a pivoted lever 31 is mounted upon the frameff the machine and is provided with a lug engaging the corresponding grooved collar 30.Y WhenV the disks 27 are in theposition shown in Fig. t the pins 28 are retion nec ygears 205 "to .the shaft i7.

A'suitable'driversseat V3,2 may be proup'on the frame of the machine, and this v fraine also be provided with a suitabledraw-bar frame tofwhich a plow n or the tongue or pole of any imple- ,V ment thatis to `be moved by the tractor may b 091111901592: i

Operation.

When it is desired to start the motor after the team has y'been hitched to the machine,

the ratehets 2 1 are lockedv to vthe heads 22 by pro'je'lctii'ig the pins 28 into the spaces'bea tween the ratchet teeth. By then starting up theteam and causing it topull or move fforward the tractor, the'motor pulley 9 and the'motor' crank shaft V89 will berotated "fromthe traction wheels through the gears 26, :the p in'ions 20, the shaft `17, the gear 16,

Y the pinion'1'5, pulley 11 and belt 10. A few turns ofthe pulley 9 Iwill start the motor,

and tlrierzeafter the machine will'be driven by power `applied from the motor to vthe "traction wheels through the instrumentalijties mentioned. Having started vthey motor the operatorrifnay then nieve the levers r31 so" asto` disengage .thel pins 28 from Vthe ratehets 2.1, and power of the Vmotor will be applied to the ratchet wheels, the pinions V2O, l"the wheelsy ,through the pawls 24:,

4are carried'` around 'with' the heads 22 and the shaft 4'17 f "IliffI motel-risse gearedthat the tractor willA he moved forwardat 'about .the ordinary rate oftravel of a team of h Orseso'r The team hitch'edto the tractor "will" guide" the same through the pole 9i' tongue, but, vrin the ordinary opera- 4. O Ii of the "machine, will rarely be called Y 1112.611 't9 do rany pulling. AThe ratchet connections betweenthe'drivenrshaft 17 and the .Spur gears ,on the'traction wheels permit the Beetles t@ be ,turned Sliarely mathe" dires essarily also locks the sleeves 19 and soft ground or obstructions, there is an overload upon the machine the teain is capable of exerting an immense overload power (or a short time until the obstacle is overcome or the machine is moved out of the soft ground.

As soon as this is done and the tractor comes onto an ordinary Working surface the power of the motor will be sullicient to move the tractor and the team will simply be required to steer it in the right direction and to guide it in making turns. It is not necessary for the operator to crank the motor, as it can always be stai-ted by locking the heads 22 to the ratchet wliee'ls and starting the team. The motor can., of course, be started by hand in the usual way.

The ratchet wheels may also be locked by the means described and the motor may then be used to assist the team in moving the d tractor backward.

The forward part of the tractor is supported by the team and no wheels or supports for the tractor are required outside of culivator shovels may be placed directly under the tractor and supported directly from the tractor frame.

I yam aware that animal and engine power have heretofore been used in conjunction, but I am not yaware of their conjoint use in a tractor. All previous coii'ibinations of this character have had to do with the conveiiience involved in the number of animals requiredV for the work to be done, and have neither solved nor attempted to solve the problem of gettin a footing or getting traction conjointly with large temporaryl overload capacity for emergencies. rlhese two difficulties did not exist in the previous methods of operating farm implements entirely by animal power. vIt was only with the'v advent of a motor-propelled pulling machine that the problem of' temporary emergency power on-tlie one hand, or gettingtract'ion on the other hand, came into being. i

" `My invention goes to the root of the trouble of using the lightest weight of tractor possible and combining with it means of applying animal power tothe extent of talc ing care of the two weaknesses of gasolene tractors as previously made, to-wit, lack of large emergency power and a method of practicable immediate assistance when the drivewheels slip. The use of animal power for steering the tractor and for emergencies makes possible ideal simplicity of con- `struction which is an important feature of my invention.

This tractor has the advantage of being very inexpensive in construction. It is light in weight and does not pack the ground, and when it tends to slip or bury itself the team will furnish the needed eXtra power for pulling it on to solid ground. The team will also furnish the power required to pull it over an obstruction.

As the machine operates under substantially full load at all times it can be set with substantially a fixed throttle and spark, and the driver or operator will be able to leave the platform to look after the plows at will.

By releasing the belt or having it loose, the engine will be disconnected from the tractor wheels. When it is desired to move the tractor backward the belt is released, and the team is backed. No reversing gear is required on the tractor. By removing the belt the engine may be used for ordinary power purposes. y

A belt tightener pulley 35 is preferably provided mounted upon a bell-crank lever 36. This lever is in position to be operated by a person sitting on the seat 32. The lever may be engaged with the ratchet teeth 37 on the bar 38 and thereby held in any desired position.

The engine crank shaft 39 is preferably provided with a notched end 40, so that a crank may be applied thereto when it is desired to start theengine by hand.

I do not limit myself to the details of the construction as the same may be varied in many particulars without departing from my invention, and while I have shown the machine provided with a pole for the attachment of a team of animals, it will be understood that a pair of thills or shafts may be'employed if the machine is to be guided by a single animal.

I claim as my invention:

l. The combination, with a tractor frame, provided with traction wheels, of a motor mounted on said frame, a ratchet connection between said motor and each of said wheels whereby either of said wheels may remain stationary or turn slowly in turning the tractor, means permitting the attachment of a team to said frame to guide the tractor, and applying, at will, animal power thereto to assist the motor in moving the tractor.

2. The combination, with a tractor frame provided with two oppositely arranged traction wheels, of a motor mounted on said frame, ratchet connections between said motor and said wheels, means for attaching a team to said frame to support its for ward end to guide the tractor, and to apply at will animal power to assist the motor iu moving the tractor, and means for locking said ratchet connections whereby the motor may be driven for starting purposes from said traction wheels.

3. The combination, with a tractor frame, provided with a pair of oppositely arranged traction wheels, of a motor mounted on said frame, ratchet connections between said inotor and said traction wheels, whereby both of said wheels may be driven from said" motor, and the inside wheel may slow up when the tractor is turned, means for attaching a team to said frame to support its forward end to guide the tractor, and to apply at will animal power to assist the motor in moving the tractor. f

In witness whereof, I have hereunto set my hand this 15th day of August 1916.

CHARLES H. CHALMERS.

@epics of this patent may be obtained for ve cents each, by addressing the Commissioner of Patents, Washington, ID. C. 

